Hooray! Today’s news from Disney Cruise Line brings new itineraries and ports of call for 2012. I am beyond ecstatic to see that New York City is added to the list for the Disney Magic with itineraries to both the Bahamas and the New England and Canadian coastline. Galveston, Texas and Seattle Washington are also being added as departing ports.

We’ve traveled extensively with our kids, but nothing beats being able to hop in the car for a quick 1-2 hour ride before boarding the ship and instantly beginning your vacation. I see a Disney Magic sailing in my future as my husband and I are now cruising obsessed as it is the EASIEST way to travel with kids.

You can visit this Disney Cruise site for the full info. I’ve copied some of the itineraries below. Guests can begin booking these 2012 itineraries later this week on Friday April 8th, 2011.

What’s really neat about the New York City itinerary is that it includes a 1 day free pass to go visit Disney World with a park hopper ticket – including transportation to and from the ship to the parks! Sweet!

Here’s the official scoop on the New York City departures:

Beginning May 25, 2012, the Disney Magic will sail a total of 20 cruises from New York – including eight-night cruises to the Bahamas and five-night cruises up the New England coast to Canada plus two-night cruises that will give a sampling of the Disney Cruise Line experience over a weekend:

· The eight Bahamas cruises will include a day at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay; Nassau, Bahamas; and a stop at Port Canaveral, Fla., giving guests an opportunity to visit the nearby Walt Disney World Resort. As part of this itinerary, each guest will receive a one-day Walt Disney World Park Hopper ticket and roundtrip transportation between their Disney ship and the resort. Rates for the new eight-night Bahamian cruise itinerary departing from New York start at $1,240 per person for a standard inside stateroom, based on double occupancy.

Cruises Sailing from New York, NY
Board the Disney Magic in The Big Apple and sail away to picturesque ports in the tropics or Canada.

Amazing deal. To celebrate the move of the Disney Wonder cruise ship to Alaska this summer, Disney is offering a “Kids Sail Free” special. This is a huge opportunity to experience a Disney cruise and the beauty of Alaska. The full offer details are below. I’ve visited Alaska in 1999 to run a marathon and the natural beauty of the wilderness was beyond words. Doubling that with the family fun of a Disney Cruise would be incredible!

Guests 17 and under can sail free on seven-night voyages aboard the Disney Wonder when traveling with two full-fare paying guests in the same Verandah or Oceanview stateroom (government taxes and fees not included). This offer is valid for most sailings departing May 3 to June 7, 2011, and covers Verandah and Oceanview stateroom categories (categories 4A to 9D).

Rates for the seven-night Alaska itinerary start at $1,249 per person for an Oceanview stateroom, based on double occupancy.

To book a vacation or for complete details on the “Kids Sail Free on Select Alaska Cruises” special offer, guests can visit disneycruise.com, call Disney Cruise Line at 888/DCL-2500 or contact their travel agent.

Guests sailing to Alaska aboard the Disney Wonder will experience breathtaking natural vistas, an abundance of wildlife and the rich history and customs of Alaska’s native culture, combined with a family-friendly cruise only Disney can deliver. The seven-night cruises call on Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, and mark the first time ever that Disney Cruise Line will sail to Alaska.

Guests can use some of the savings from this offer to further enhance their Alaska cruise experience by purchasing one-of-a-kind Disney exclusive Port Adventures. In Skagway, a fun scavenger hunt through the Liarsville Gold Rush Trail Camp sets the stage for a gold-panning expedition joined by beloved Disney characters. During an exclusive Ketchikan adventure, youth counselors from the ship accompany children as they learn the art of totem carving from a native carver. In Juneau, the Glacier Dog Musher for a Day Port Adventure, takes guests by helicopter over the massive Juneau Icefield where they will tour a sled dog camp and explore behind-the-scenes areas including the kennel, living quarters and veterinary clinic. Mushers and their dog teams then take guests out on the snow-capped glacier for an unforgettable sled trip through the pristine wilderness.

We are sooooo excited! Here I am telling the kids about the package tonight. Sweet 2 year old Kyle has been wishing for a cruise ship ever since he cruised to the Caribbean this summer. On every birthday cake he wishes for “the cruise ship!” and when I asked him what kind of “big boy” bedroom theme he’d like he quickly replied after I offered him dinosaurs, cars, curious george or trains, that he would prefer a “Cruise Ship” theme complete with bunk beds!

Along with a movie theater, the Disney Dream will have two brand new state of the art musicals that rival the shows on Broadway along with a refreshed “Golden Mickey’s”. “Villians” is the first show dedicated to all those Disney villians and the other new show is titled, “Disney’s Believe.”

The kids are sure to love every second of the journey. From heading to the Oceannear’s club to hang out in the Disney themed child care centers like “Andy’s Room” or in Tinker Bell’s “Pixie Hollow” to riding the Aqua Duct waterslide on the ship to hanging out with Mickey & Minnie Mouse.

The kids are already planning to bring their Disney dress up costumes to wear to dinner at night and can’t wait to swim at Castaway Cay. It will be a marvelous 2 days and I’m sure we’ll be booking a full week cruise for sometime next year after this brief taste of the magic! Having done a Disney Cruise press trip solo last year, I can’t wait to bring everyone along for the fun this time – and the kids are the ideal age to participate in all the “family” activities, on deck pirate parties, character greetings, and more.

The 2011 schedule is already up and we hope to book the extended Dream itinerary that is for 5 days with a double dip at Castaway Cay so we can experience the island 2 times during 1 trip as it truly is a piece of paradise in the middle of the Caribbean. And if those dates don’t work for us – we’ll be hoping to score one of those “Kids Sail Free” deals they offer on occassion, however, I hear they sell out fast so I’ll need to stay on top of the buzz to take advantage of their specials.

Wonder about the size of a stateroom on a Disney Wonder Cruise? Here’s a quick tour of my stateroom cabin & how a ship economizes space. My room had a veranda which was gorgeous!

My room on the Disney Wonder was on the 7th floor and was in the “midship” region of the boat. My actual room number was 7044 and did include a veranda. I became very attached to the cabin and loved it during my wonderful vacation escape.

Swimming with the stingrays was a highlight of my Disney Wonder Cruise. Here’s a video of me getting up close and personal with the Stingrays on Disney’s Castaway Cay.

This excursion on Disney’s Castaway Cay island is easy to coordinate as it’s right on the beach for 1 hour. Plus, you’ll get to go snorkeling in the cove with the Stingrays and beautiful fish after the stingray feeding.

You’ll notice in my video clip that the Stingrays are fed in very shallow water making this a great experience for the kiddies even if they are not able to do a full deep water “snorkeling” session.